Send Jackie A Message!

You've been running your studio for years. You survived the startup phase, you survived COVID, and now a competitor just opened down the street. You're still teaching most of the classes. And that teacher training you've been meaning to launch? Still sitting on the back burner.

In this episode, Jackie sits down with Rachel, owner of Elevate Coleman—a barre, yoga, and Buti yoga studio in a small Southern town. Rachel found Jackie during COVID recovery, went through the Studio CEO Program, joined the Grow Mastermind, and now works with Jackie one-on-one. She's nearly a decade into her business and still growing.

Timestamps:

[03:30] From show choir and gymnastics to barre
[07:00] Proof of concept before signing a lease
[11:20] Opening with a 6-month-old
[14:00] The 3 phases of running a studio
[20:00] How Rachel found Jackie and decided to invest
[27:00] The VIP on-site visit experience
[34:00] How Rachel talent-scouts and develops teachers
[43:30] The CEO mindset shift — working on the business, not just in it

Key Takeaways:

✔️ You don't need a perfect manual to launch a teacher training. Version one is the goal.
✔️ Proof of concept can start with a notebook, 50 names, and basic math.
✔️ Every studio goes through three phases: startup, survival, and stable growth in competition.
✔️ Operating in your strengths and hiring for the rest is a CEO-level decision. ✔️ Being around other scaling studio owners shows you what's possible—and what's next.

Pull Quotes:
"If they were playing baseball, I've been in T-ball."
"There's no such thing as a perfect manual. Can you get version one out there now?"
"My job is CEO first. Teaching supports that."
"Steer yourself and your team toward what's going right. Do more of that."

FAQ:
How do I know if my town is big enough for a boutique fitness studio? It's math, not population. Figure out how many members at what price point covers your rent, then work backwards. Rachel opened in a town with zero boutique fitness and built a nine-year business doing exactly that.

Studio CEO Program vs. Grow Mastermind — what's the difference? The Studio CEO Program is where you start—auditing your business and building core systems. The Mastermind is for owners who are already running and ready to focus on leadership, paid ads, and scaling alongside other growth-minded studio owners.

Should I launch a teacher training before it's perfect? Yes. There is no perfect manual. What you know from years of teaching is the curriculum. Get version one out, then refine. Waiting means another year of being short-staffed.

How do I find good teachers for my studio? Watch your students. Look for people who absorb instruction as a teacher would. Rachel identified one of her best teachers just by observing how she moved through class—then asked her to lunch.

What does the CEO mindset shift actually look like for studio owners? It means recognizing that your primary job is to grow the business—and teaching supports that, not the other way around. When teaching starts competing with strategic work, something needs to restructure.

How do studios survive when competition moves in? Get specific about who you're for and what result they get. The studios that th

Work with Jackie Murphy

• Say Hi on Instagram @studioceoofficial
• 3 Marketing Mistakes Yoga & Pilates Business Owners Make:
  https://www.jackiegmurphy.com/3-marketing-mistakes
• Join The Studio CEO Program: https://www.jackiegmurphy.com/studioceo

Send Jackie A Message!

If you've ever found yourself running your studio on fumes, resenting the business you built, and quietly googling "how do I sell a yoga studio"—this episode is for you.

Nicole Byers has been in this industry for 11 years. She opened her first studio in 2015, franchised during a pandemic, dissolved the franchise, rebranded, and eventually hit a wall so hard she was ready to walk away entirely. She wasn't burned out because she was weak. She was burned out because she'd been operating in fight-or-flight for years with no systems, no support, and no off switch.

If you're a yoga or Pilates studio owner who's tired, stuck, or seriously questioning whether this is still worth it—listen to this one before you make any big decisions.

Timestamped Outline:

[01:25] Nicole's introduction and background
[05:01] Opening first studio with no business experience
[09:05] The opening weekend illusion
[15:46] How Live True Yoga became Honest Yoga
[24:50] Hitting the wall
[27:44] Joining the Grow Mastermind
[35:00] What to do when you're in a dark place and considering selling

Key Takeaways:
✓ Burnout isn't a character flaw—it's a systems problem.
✓ Don't make a permanent decision from a temporary emotional state.
✓ Consistency beats perfection every time.
✓ Alignment isn't just a mindset concept—it's a business strategy.

Pull Quotes:
"Right when you're about to get over that hump—people sell or quit. And then that hump never gets crossed."
"I needed to cultivate that feeling of safety from within. You can't sell a studio and find peace if the peace isn't already in you."
"I quadrupled the investment. It honestly changed my life and changed the trajectory of my business."
"It's not about the business. A lot of it is mindset coaching—and that came before the business stuff could even work."

FAQ Section:

Can a yoga studio in a small town be successful? Yes—but it requires intentional strategy. Nicole opened her first studio in a town of 30,000 people and grew it to the point of expansion within 18 months. Location matters to some extent, but consistent marketing, a strong class schedule, and membership sales systems matter more.
What are the biggest mistakes yoga studio owners make when franchising? Not vetting franchise owners carefully enough. Nicole dissolved her franchise after learning that passion for yoga and willingness to invest aren't enough—franchise owners need both business acumen and genuine knowledge of what they're selling.
How do I stop feeling resentful toward my studio? Resentment in studio ownership usually signals a systems problem, not a passion problem. The answer isn't to quit. It's to build systems that let you lead instead of just survive.
Is it worth joining a business mastermind as a yoga studio owner? If you're ready to actually implement what you learn—yes. Nicole tried multiple coaching programs and says the Grow Mastermind was the first one where she exceeded her investment, not just learned from it.
How do I know if I should sell my yoga studio or keep going? Try this: close your eyes and envision having sold—really sit with it. Then envision a thriving version of your studio. Notice which scenario your body responds to. Many studio owners are closest

Work with Jackie Murphy

• Say Hi on Instagram @studioceoofficial
• 3 Marketing Mistakes Yoga & Pilates Business Owners Make:
  https://www.jackiegmurphy.com/3-marketing-mistakes
• Join The Studio CEO Program: https://www.jackiegmurphy.com/studioceo

Send Jackie A Message!

Sandra Vanatko opened the first yoga studio in Parker County, Texas 16 years ago and built something real from scratch. After COVID changed the landscape, Sandra did something most studio owners are afraid to even consider and then she actually acted on it.

In this episode, Jackie and Sandra walk through the full arc, from pioneering yoga in a skeptical market, raising private rates that were too low, grieving the loss of a 16-year business, and launching an online membership that hit 100 founding members in 36 hours.

If you've been running your studio for years and something feels off, this one is for you.

Timestamped Outline:

[01:56] Sandra's background
[11:23] How Sandra moves through resistance in business using somatic awareness
[19:36] How Sandra's offerings evolved from classical yoga to somatic and trauma-informed work
[27:47] Building the online business while still running the studio
[33:21] The founding membership launch
[35:51] Grieving a 16-year business
[38:38] Sandra's top piece of advice for studio owners navigating big transitions

Key Takeaways:

✔️ Meeting your market where they are isn't selling out—it's smart marketing. The door has to open before the deeper work can begin.
✔️ Make the love list. Write down everything you love doing and everything you don't. The decision often becomes obvious.
✔️ Grief is part of the pivot. Sandra spent six months in the process before she got excited about what came next. Skipping it stalls you later.
✔️ Your community will follow you. 100 founding members in 36 hours, built on 16 years of real trust, not a fancy funnel.

Quotes:

"I wrote down everything I love doing, and I wrote down everything I didn't enjoy doing anymore. When I saw the list, it became clear." — Sandra

"Grieving informed the new chapter. If you skip over it, you're skipping an essential piece." — Sandra Vanatko

"Get paid support in place, because your friends are holding your heart—and you don't want to burn them out." — Sandra

FAQ Section:

How do I know when it's time to close my studio or make a major pivot? If you're dreading the space you built or the math no longer makes sense. Sandra's sign was driving an hour to teach four people in person while eight joined online. The data often knows before you do.
Is it too late to hire a business coach if I've been open for 10+ years? Not at all. Sandra was 14 years in before working with Jackie. The work wasn't starting over—it was raising rates, cleaning up operations, and building structure around what was already working.
How do I raise my private rates without losing clients? Get clear on what you're actually offering. Sandra wasn't teaching yoga privates—she was offering somatic body work and trauma-informed coaching. Naming that value made raising rates a natural next step.
How do I handle the grief of closing a long-running studio? Let yourself feel it fully. Sandra spent April through September in the process before she got excited about what came next. Skipping the grief doesn't speed things up—it just stalls the breakthrough.

Work with Jackie Murphy

• Say Hi on Instagram @studioceoofficial
• 3 Marketing Mistakes Yoga & Pilates Business Owners Make:
  https://www.jackiegmurphy.com/3-marketing-mistakes
• Join The Studio CEO Program: https://www.jackiegmurphy.com/studioceo